Bridal Shoot

I've started including Bridal Shoots in my packages for brides who want a little something 'extra' before (or after) their wedding day. It's a chance to capture your inner diva... a chance to concentrate on just you and feel how luxurious it is to be in your bridal gown. The Bridal Shoot tends to be a little edgier. It's shot like a spread in a magazine concentrating on the elegance yet allowing you to capture what you can't always get on your wedding day. My brides have LOVED this concept! Especially after the wedding day when they no longer care if there's a wrinkle or a stain. Anything goes! Here's a couple I did for Linzi while I was in the Bahamas:

Linzi & Daniel

I LOVE shooting in the Caribbean! And I couldn't have had a more fun couple than Linzi & Daniel!



Linzi and Daniel are getting married May 25 at the Cloisters on Paradise Island. I did an engagement shoot with them on the beach right at sunset after they finished work. Linzi is a Marine Biologist and works with the dolphins and sea lions at Atlantis. Daniel also works at Atlantis but out of the water and in administration.



Linzi is in the water all day long so the last thing she wanted to do was get completely wet shortly before nightfall. I don't blame her! But I had fun getting Daniel to threaten throwing her into the ocean...



Believe it or not, these pictures were taken after the sun had already dropped below the horizon. The last bit of daylight was gracing us with beautifully muted light! I'm glad I had my fabulous Canon low-light lens in order to capture these amazing images... I wouldn't have been able to get these otherwise.





Linzi & Daniel are going to have the BEST wedding in May!

Lindsay & Brent - The Bride

Ok... here are a few of the bride. Isn't she gorgeous!

One & Only Ocean Club, Bahamas

I'm still going through all the images from the wedding last week and LOVING every minute of it. I've had a lot of people asking when they can see just a snippet from the wedding but I'm gonna keep y'all in suspense! In the meantime, here are just a few of the images of the One & Only Ocean Club.





It was just an amazing place for a wedding. For anyone considering a destination wedding here, you MUST contact Anne Marie Williams (516.620.3530). She is one of two exclusive coordinators who will create the wedding of your dreams!

Lindsay + Brent

I'm finally back from an amazing week of shooting on Paradise Island! I met Lindsay & Brent the day after I arrived in the Lobby of the One & Only Ocean Club. We hit it off immediately and kept talking all the way through brunch. They're both very down-to-earth, fun and just great people. Lindsay is a fashion designer - check out her site at www.lindsayperry.com!

The day before the wedding, the bride's parents hosted a Welcoming Party at one of the private residences on the island for all the guests that had flown in. They couldn't have chosen a better place! It was right on the ocean !





Guests were served premium Bahamian Fare - grouper, conch, guava duff and an assortment of other goodies.

As the sun was setting I managed to grab the couple for some sunset shots on the beach. It was a little windy and I didn't want to get the bride's hair too windblown... I LOVE these backlit shots!



Stay tuned for some more amazing pictures of their WEDDING!

Paradise Island, Bahamas Sessions

I'll be in Nassau, Bahamas for several weeks in April. I'm shooting a wedding at the One & Only Ocean Club (where the James Bond movie, Casino Royale was filmed) as well as several other family/kids' sessions and even a couple of engagement sessions! I have several more spots available and I'm taking bookings for any other kids/families or couples who'd like to capture their adventures in the Caribbean! Call or email now to reserve your spot.

Winter's Wrath

I have the flu. I was determined not to get sick this year and I was feeling GREAT up until this point! If you call and get voicemail, if you email and don't hear back with my usual hyper-drive response time and if I've had to reschedule your portrait session; I truly apologize but will be back to my usual self in no time!

Health and Well-Being

People who have known me for a long time, know that I am very health-conscious and a bit of a fitness nut. In my early 20's I was a personal trainer, fitness nutritionist and semi-competitive body-builder. Nowadays I keep it down to running up to 8 miles a day and light-weight circuit training a few days a week. I've always enjoyed yoga on occasion and pilates has me quite intrigued. If only I could find a good pilates place in my area! Recently I discovered Bikram's yoga and I will never go back! For those who don't know what Bikram's Yoga is, it's mostly 'stretching' and 'compressing' muscles and joints in a room that is 106 degrees Fahrenheit at about 60% humidity. VERY hot! I go everyday for 90 minutes and it's amazing! Not only am I seeing definition in my legs, arms and shoulders, I'm also a lot more flexible. I'm very calm and relaxed throughout the day. I crave healthy food and not junk like I usually do. I've had lower back pain for quite some time and within a month it has completely disappeared! Even the aches in my shoulders from carrying all my equipment are gone! To top it off, I've lost a few pounds and several inches around my waist, hips and thighs. The biggest payoff for me however is the sense of peace and calm that I feel on a regular basis since starting Bikram's yoga. I'm more aware of my breathing which has allowed my mind (and those racing thoughts in my head) to become quieter. I LOVE hot yoga!

Parvinder + Jay's Engagement

I can't say enough about Parvinder & Jay! For the most part, engagement shoots are quite casual. However, Parvinder & Jay wanted to do something a little dressier first then change into jeans later. We started from their apartment and I noticed a little area in their back alley. Even though they were dressed up, they were willing to trust my 'vision' (in a back alley) and take my lead. I got some AMAZING shots that they were thrilled with too. Urban settings, no matter how 'rough' they may seem, can be transformed into unbelievable images!





From there we went casual down at the beach. I love hats and had a couple of ideas for Parvinder in Jay's car (a 350Z which, by the way, may be mine in the near future...).






But no matter what ideas I had and no matter what I had them do, they both were so willing to jump right in! They were so fun to photograph and I can't WAIT until their traditional Indian wedding in May!

Aruba & Dominica

Aruba... What can I say... I spent very little time scouting around Aruba. I bought a post card for my Mom and that was the extent of my excitement.

But Dominica! I LOVED Dominica! Yet another beautiful, lush, mountainous countryside with friendly residents and a culture rich in history. I was driving along a dirt road beside a river at one point and came across this guy washing his jeep in the river - bucket, cloth, soap and all. Coming back along the same road later that day, there was a family doing their laundry in almost the same spot. I know I see this on TV and I know this happens in the world but to actually witness it gave me a far greater connection. What hit me the most though was their visible joy. The children were laughing and playing, the woman was strong, diligent and also smiling. Earlier, the guy washing his jeep had seemed so proud to have a clean car! Back in North America I think I would be hard-pressed to find someone who would find pleasure in something that "inconvenient". It says a lot about how to find joy and happiness in all our tasks, and how to be grateful for everything we have... even the things we consider 'difficult' or unmanageable. I really believe that we create our own happiness and we can choose to look at things as being vexatious or appreciate our own good fortune - however modest it is.